Smith: Texans back up Deshaun Watson with much-needed deal for Demaryius Thomas

Demaryius Thomas won a Super Bowl as the Broncos' No. 1 receiver and will join the Texans as a complement to DeAndre Hopkins.

Photo: Associated Press

Demaryius Thomas isn't the downfield burner to replace Will Fuller.

But the longtime Bronco has 665 career catches for 9,055 yards and 60 touchdowns. He has 53 receptions for 759 yards and six TDs in 10 playoff games. And to basically get all that for a future fourth-round pick?

No-brainer.

Thomas, 30, now becomes the Texans' No. 2 receiving option, pairing up with DeAndre Hopkins. Deshaun Watson gets the extra offensive weapon that he needed. And a team that's risen from 0-3 to 5-3 receives a veteran reinforcement just before Tuesday's trade deadline.

Coutee is already the best of those names. He arrived under new general manager Brian Gaine, who pulled the necessary trigger Tuesday. The rookie receiver can remain in the slot when he returns from a hamstring injury. Watson now has two veteran wideouts, in addition to Lamar Miller and Alfred Blue out of the backfield, and two promising rookie tight ends.

Dallas burned a first-round pick on Amari Cooper. Philadelphia reportedly will use a third-rounder to acquire Golden Tate. Thomas has better career numbers than Tate, has played in all 16 regular-season games since 2012, and won a Super Bowl in 2015 while syncing up with Peyton Manning.

On-field production will be the only test that matters. The first look is Sunday at Denver, where Watson will be throwing to Thomas with Case Keenum on the other sideline.

But a move like this had to be made. Credit to the Texans for pulling off what they stayed away from in past years.

The playoffs are in sight after 0-3. Thomas is already postseason-ready.

Brian T. Smith is a sports columnist for the Houston Chronicle. He has won multiple Associated Press Sports Editors awards and been honored by numerous journalism organizations. Smith was a Houston Texans beat writer for the Chronicle from 2013-15 and an Astros beat writer from 2012-13. The New Orleans-area native previously covered the NBA's Utah Jazz (The Salt Lake Tribune) and Portland Trail Blazers (The Columbian), among other beats. He is the author of the book Liftoff, which documented the Astros' rebuild and 2017 World Series championship.